According to a damning independent report commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency, Russia’s government, the security services and sporting authorities colluded to hide the widespread doping. The International Olympic Committee has promised it will not hesitate to impose sanctions against those responsible.

IOC to impose sanctions against Russia over doping report

According to a damning independent report commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency, Russia’s government, the security services and sporting authorities colluded to hide the widespread doping. The International Olympic Committee has promised it will not hesitate to impose sanctions against those responsible. CCTV’s Dan Williams has the story.

Russian sport has been under extensive scrutiny in recent months following the decision to ban the country’s track and field athletes from competition at the summer Olympics in Rio.

“From all of this comes a picture that emerges of an intertwined network of state involvement through the Ministry of Sport. It was a fail-safe method of permitting cheating Russian athletes to compete while using performance-enhancing substances,” Richard McLaren, head of WADA Commission said.

McLaren said Russia’s sports ministry “directed, controlled and oversaw” the manipulation of urine samples provided by its athletes.

In Paris preparations are underway for the finale of the Tour de France, an event that has endured numerous doping controversies over the years. These allegations are altogether more serious, and attention now switches to the International Olympic Committee.

IOC President Thomas Bach described the commission’s findings as a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of the sport and the Olympic games. The IOC executive board will now decide whether to impose any sanctions. Speaking two months ago, Bach made clear the IOC would take a tough approach on doping.

The Rio Olympics games are less than three weeks away. Given this latest report and charges of a cover-up, the pressure is only likely to build on banning Russia entirely from the competition.

Robert Boland discusses possible IOC sanctions for Rio Games

To better understand the impact of the WADA ruling on the Russian athletes, CCTV America’s Mike Walter spoke to Robert Boland, executive-in-resident at the Department of Sports Administration at Ohio University.